


Shades

by Zandilar



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Chiss Character, Exposition, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 08:24:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17240825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zandilar/pseuds/Zandilar
Summary: Empress Acina contemplates the Jedi in her bed. It can't last.





	Shades

**Author's Note:**

> If you're new to this Fandom, then you might not get everything in this. For some help with who is who, see the Dramatis Personae at the end of the story.

Acina stood at her window, looking out into the rainy gloom of early morning Kaas city. Even though the sun had yet to make its appearance over the horizon traffic flowed through the city, citizens scurrying around to do the daily business that kept the Sith Empire running. Acina glanced back over her shoulder at the tall, broad shouldered, long limbed Chiss woman sleeping in her bed, and not for the first time wondered what had possessed her to take up with the Commander of the Eternal Alliance.

She had first met Yan’seld’ara when she had invited her to Dromund Kaas to talk about allying together against Vaylin and her Eternal Empire. But she had heard of her long before that – the Chiss Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order, heroic saviour of countless republic lives and able diplomat who had negotiated a brief alliance between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic against the Emperor, Vitiate, when he had turned against the whole galaxy.

Yan’seld, for all her fame, hadn’t been what she’d been expecting at all. For a start, the Chiss Ascendancy were a long-time ally of the Sith Empire, and most Chiss were quite content remaining within the bounds of the Empire. But Yan’seld was one of those rare exceptions – at a very young age she had been found to have Force sensitivity, and for the Chiss this was anathema. Somehow her parents had managed to get her out of the Empire and to the Jedi, who presumably had raised her and instilled in her the tenants of the Light Side. This protected her from the Ascendancy, who would have hunted her down if they could. While the Light Side fairly glowed in her, when she was not being careful to hide herself, Yan’seld was not a bigot when it came to the Sith. She was just as happy to talk as she was to fight, and it was her pragmatic level head that had helped seal the alliance between the Alliance and the Sith. Acina could sense the Light now as the woman slept, and it should have made her uneasy – but for some stupid reason, Acina trusted her.

When their shuttle had been sabotaged and they had been fighting side by side against bounty hunters sent to kill them, Yan’seld was always ready to protect her back. She found that the Chiss woman’s sense of humour complemented her own – dry as it was. Acina was nonplussed when the Jedi had flirted with her. There was a teasing edge to it, but there was also intent. It seemed that the Barsen'thor had a genuine attraction to her, and Acina had found it a little disconcerting at the time. However, there was no denying that Yan’seld was a beautiful and powerful woman, and so she had flirted back when the situation had been quiet enough.

Once they had managed to rescue themselves, the alliance had gone ahead and together the Sith and the Alliance had worked together to bring Empress Vaylin down. When Yan’seld had taken the Eternal Throne, and turned her Alliance into a galactic peace keeping force, the galaxy could breathe again. It would not be riven again by a relentless tyrant with an unstoppable fleet – it would just be riven by the same old war between the Sith Empire and the Republic. So far, the Alliance had stepped in to ferry supplies to people in need, regardless of which side they were on, and also to protect civilians caught between the two warring factions.

In the lull, Acina had reached out and invited Yan’seld back to Dromund Kaas – not really expecting the Commander to accept. Yan’seld’s advisors surely had been against it, even though on paper they were allies. Not only had Yan’seld accepted the invitation, she had come on her own.

They had shared a meal the night before and Yan’seld had been as charming as ever, flirting with and joking with her as if they were old friends and not the leaders of two faction of galactic scale. There was just something disarming about the Chiss, that by the time the meal was over Acina was taken by surprise when Yan’seld had pulled her into an alcove and kissed her with more passion than she had ever expected from a Jedi.

So now, here she was with a Jedi in her bed. She had no idea what she was going to do about it, because this couldn’t last. They were opposites in almost every way it counted – the way of the Dark Side was immiscible with the way of the Light. The ruthless cruelty that ran through her could not work in the long term with the gentle kindness of Yan’seld’s heart.

“I know,” said Yan’seld. She had stirred and her glowing red eyes were open, a large hand pushing dark blue hair back from her face as she sat up.

“What do you know?” Acina asked, though she hardly had voice the words.

“I know you invited me here for more discussions about our alliance,” Yan’seld said, “It probably wasn’t just a pretence to get me alone, but a way for you to work out if I was going to break out of our deal. I came because I had hoped we might spend some time together as just Acina and Yan’seld. Under other circumstances things might have been different – but you are set on your path, and I am set on mine. There will probably come a time when we’re enemies again.”

Acina nodded, and walked a few steps towards her.

“I will keep our bargain as long as I can,” Acina said, “You can trust my word on that.”

Yan’seld gave her a sad smile, then patted the bed. “I want to,” she said, “But I’m well aware of how the Sith work. In the end, I’d rather you be the Empress than anyone else whether we’re enemies or not – so you do what you need to do.”

Acina sat where Yan’seld had indicated, and was very much not surprised when a large blue hand slipped behind her neck and pulled her into a kiss.

“But for now,” Yan’seld said when they parted, “I’m just going to enjoy having you.” Acina chuckled as she was pulled down to the bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Dramatis Personae
> 
> * Empress Acina. The Empress of the Sith Empire, who ascended to the throne after Vitiate was "defeated". She's careful, intelligent, and very pragmatic (Sith style). Not overtly evil most of the time.  
> * Barsen'thor. A Jedi title for a special Warden of the Order, awarded to Yan'seld'ara after she defeated and redeemed the Sith Lord Vivicar.  
> * Commander Yan'seld'ara. A Chiss Jedi, which is akin to a rainbow sparkles Unicorn in the SW universe. Yan'seld, as she's known, was raised by the Jedi Order after her parents smuggled her out of the Chiss Ascendancy (they don't like force users amongst their own people, though they work with the Sith.)  
> * The Galactic Republic. The Republic of the Old Republic.  
> * The Sith Empire. The Empire of the Old Republic.  
> * Eternal Alliance. The Alliance was formed in order to defeat the Eternal Empire which was ruled by the Children of the Sith Emperor (first Arcann and then Vaylin), formerly known as Vitiate, known as Valkorion. After the defeat of Vaylin and Valkorion, Yan'seld took the Eternal Throne and changed her Alliance into a galactic peacekeeping force.  
> * The Eternal Throne. An ancient piece of technology that allowed the possessor to control the Eternal Fleet.  
> * The Eternal Fleet. An ancient self-replicating fleet, larger and more powerful than anything known at the time of the Old Republic. It allowed the Eternal Empire to defeat both the Republic and the Empire and keep them in check.  
> * Arcann. The sole remaining son of Valkorion. He took the throne after "killing" his father. Previously he had killed his twin brother while trying to kill his father. (He didn't like his father very much, you see.)  
> * Vaylin. The only daughter of Valkorion. She was so powerful at a young age that Valkorion had her "caged" and conditioned. Once she broke that conditioning she was even more of a menace to everyone and everything. She took the Eternal Throne after her brother was defeated by the Barsen'thor.


End file.
